Shehnaz Banatwala

Blurain Salon
Creative Head: Shehnaz Banatwala

About:
Shehnaz Banatwala is the owner of Blurain Salon since April 2016. She is responsible for all operations of the business spanning from quality control to human resources, purchasing, marketing and business development. Shehnaz has also been running Rilli Apparel since 2010, a charitable endeavor to empower the women of interior Sindh by reviving handcrafted art of RIlli patchwork. Shehnaz is currently the Vice President of the WCCI Karachi and is responsible for working with the team to organize events and exhibitions to promote women entrepreneurs. Previously Shehnaz has held exhibitions in Karachi of intricate Multani hand embroidery with the purpose of providing a source of income for under privileged women from the region. She also assisted the team of Abbas Town Center, an NGO for providing income to underprivileged women by working to design outfits and embroidery as well as marketing efforts for exhibitions. Shehnaz also worked as a Physical Education teacher at some of Karachi’s top education institutions, the Convent of Jesus & Mary School and St. Josephs Convent School. She has a Bachelor of Arts from St Josephs College for Women and has a passion for nature with her garden placing in the top 3 positions for 4 years consecutively in a Karachi wide competition for best residential garden. Shehnaz is also a member of the Horticultural Society of Pakistan, Ladies Horticultural Club Karachi, Amateur Gardeners Club Karachi and Karachi Floral Art Society.

There are a few important items to consider before you start a Salon. These are by no means requirements but rather guidelines and tips that we have discovered in planning our own Salons they should be seen as a starting point meant to spark ideas for your own Salon as they are all unique.

Theme:
It is important to remember that each location will have its own unique slant on the Salon format. While the Salons are meant to function generally as a way for people interested in to meet up and socialize, Salons can(and should) focus on a specific theme – the arts, computer programming, social networking, etc. This theme needn’t be static – it can change every Salon – but it helps to get speakers who will be able to speak on similar topics.

Frequency:
To ensure a strong turnout, it is important to understand how often your audience is willing to meet up. Similarly, think about how many presenters and projects you can rotate through on a continuous basis. These two factors could mean a Salon happening every month, every 6 months, or even every each locale is different. The better you can space the Salons according to your audience and presenters, the better turn out and dialogue you will have, making the Salon more successful as a whole.

Venue:
Having the Salon in a consistent space will help ensure repeat attendance. Reach out to local art galleries, bars/pubs, and even universities to see if they can offer you a block of time to use their space for free.The space doesn’t need to be extravagant and it is good to remember that a small but full space is more conducive to discussion than a large but empty one.

Equipment:
It is important to allow presenters the ability to showcase media be it video, audio, slideshow, or other. Speakers and a projector aren’t essential to the Salons but they will make them run much smoother. If your venue doesn’t have those things on hand, ask around to your friends and co-workers. More likely than not someone will have something that will work.

Cost:

Shehnaz Banatwala run Salons are free and open to the public and there is little to no money spent on additional resources. We encourage you to make do with the sparsest of budgets – in regards to promotion we are happy to blog any Salons happening and Shehnaz Banatwala are a great way to promote as well.

Format:
Salons tend to be run in an open manner, allowing people to mingle and socialize as they see fit. Outside of this there are often two to three presenters who will speak to their own use of incenses, be it personal or for a larger organization they are part of. This is by no means a rigid guideline but rather a starting point – feel free to screen a film, hold a panel discussion, have a live music performance, or anything else that may be relevant. Most importantly, remember to have fun!

Contact info:

Shehnaz Banatwala

Brand Name: Blurain Salon
Creative Head: Shehnaz Banatwala
Founder Vice President: Woman Chamber of Commerce and Industry Karachi South
(WCCIKS, 2015– 2017)
Member H.R. Committee: Woman Chamber of Commerce and Industry Karachi South
(WCCIKS, 2015– 2020)
Executive Member: Woman Chamber of Commerce and Industry Karachi South
(WCCIKS, 2018– 2019)
Member: National Business Women Council (NBWC, 2017-2020)
Address office: WCCI Karachi South office # 4, Plot # 1-C, Lane # 2, Sehar Commercial Area, Phase-VII, DHA, Karachi.
Mobile: +92 300 2012727
Mobile: +92 316 6550057
Office: +92 21 37223874
E-mail: [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/wccikarachisouth/
Twitter: WCCIKSouthpk
Instagram: WCCIKSouthpk
URL: www.wccikarachisouth.wcci.pk
URL: ww.wcci.pk